Yudan sezu no ikou (Don't let your guard down)

Chapter XIV

Ryoko Pov

 I felt a sudden jolt wake me up and took a few seconds to realize where I was. I sighed, looking out the airplane window. A blue sea of soft cotton candy clouds, with the smallest specks of green. I put my headphones into my ears and just slept the rest of the plane ride. I woke up a few hours later when the air attendant tapped my shoulder. 

 "Excuse me miss, the plane has arrived." 

 "Oh right, thank you." I smiled as i undid my seatbelt and noticed she was still there. "Um, is there something else?" I noticed her fidget and play with her thumbs as she began to speak. "Um, that is-Are you Ryoko Echizen?" i blinked wondering how this flight attendant knew me.

 "Yeah, do i know you?" I saw her face lit up, and started hearing faint whispers throughout the plane.

 "I knew it! Would you mind signing this for me?!" i nodded as i tok the magazine into my hands. She lent me a pen, as i began to realize what was on the cover of the magazine. It was me, from two years ago. I had done a small photo-shoot, filling in for an absent model, and somehow ended up modeling for a few months becoming quite popular. I handed the flight attendant back the magazine and pen as i grabbed my carry-on from above. After that little incident, being in the airport was hectic. Maybe i should have chosen a different place, like the north pole. Yeah right, i wonder what the team is doing now...

 Some time later in Japan~

 "Today is just a greeting." A guy with gray-silverish hair, a tall body and mean looking eyes said as he walked away from the injured ryoma. 

 "Bastard..." Ryoma said standing up and serving a ball at his head. 

 "R-Ryoma-kun?!" 

 "Don't be in such a rush.." Before the ball made impact, the gray haired guy caught it in his hand. "Make it to the prefectural tournament. I'm Yamabuki High's third-year, Akutsu." With that akutsu walked away as ryoma was taken by his teammates to get his injuries treated. Akutsu made his way back around the building stopping when he spotted s girl. "You."

 "Jin, If i see you do that to my brother again, i will kill you." Ryoko spoke with venom in her voice. The past few months had changed her, so much had been going on, but she still decided to come back to Japan. 

 "Don't order me around." Akutsu said, non-threatnening. He had come to know Ryoko over the past month, and had actually grown to like her. He didn't even call her a bitch like he used to, he started to call her by her name. Ryoko gave him a glare, before crossing her arms. "Ryoko, he shouldn't have been so weak. Puny little brat, he deserved worse-"

 "Akutsu," He tensed hearing Ryoko not call him by his first name. "Don't make me hurt you." She said as she walked away. 

 "Bitch- no, Ryoko..tch. Bitch!" Akutsu yelled stomping away. Ryoko found her way a few days later, seeing the famous seigaku team practing. All of them running together. 

 Ryoko POV

 I noticed that Inui had concocted some sort of what he called 'penal tea' to give to the losers. Eventually it was only the regulars facing against each other as they strained to not be the last person. No one wanted to drink that penal tea pitcher, well except maybe Fuji. Luckily, they all passed together and they began practicing single matches against each other. First up was Fuji and my little bro. While that was going on another match started with Tezuka and Momo. And so on and so forth until it began pouring, luckily i had my hoodie on. 

 "Hey! How long do you plan on playing idiots?!" Ryuzaki yelled at Fuji and ryoma seeing as both idiots didn't bother to stop playing. Ryuzaki yelled at ryoma as they walked inside, and I saw Fuji walk over to Tezuka.

 "Hey Tezuka. When you played with Echizen was it like this with you too?"  Fuji asked as i noticed how much i had missed. 

"You knew about it?" Tezuka said, stopping in his tracks.

"Yeah, i just had a feeling-Ryoko-chan?" I turned to see Fuji and Tezuka had turned back around and noticed me. 

"Uh, hi Fuji-kun, Tezuka-kun." I waved. Shit i wasn't ready to talk to them this early on. Not even Ryoma knows i've been back for a month now. I even just got all my stuff back in my old room at home. 

"When did you get back?" Tezuka asked, his eyes cold and serious. I shuddered, noticing how much i must have hurt him, feeling his glare growing more intense by the second.

"About a month ago. I've been staying with a friend. But i just moved back home yesterday." I said monotonously, noticing Fuji was the only one happy to see me. 

"You were gone for months, and never bothered to contact us. Never bothered to contact me. And now you say you've been back for a month? Who have you been staying with? Do i mean nothing to you?"

"Tezuka, what i do is my business, leave me alone. It was nice seeing you Fuji-kun."  I said coldly. They noticed my glare, and backed up a bit surprised to see me act this way. They didn't know what i went thru the past few months. I sighed and turned away from them. "Ja ne-" I heard my phone go off. "Hello? ah-Jin, i thought i got all the boxes out of your place. Fine, i'll come and get it, see ya in a bit."  I noticed the intense glare i was getting from Tezuka. Dammit.

[A/N: sorry that this took so long. gaaah gomen. so for forgiveness, there is a cute picture of Akutsu blushing on the side.]